“The world’s oldest metalloid type Jikji will be in the 2019 Guinness World Records!”
The Korean Language and Culture Foundation (KLCF), the organization to unite Northern California-based teachers of the Korean language, has teamed up with its subsidiary volunteer group KYAC to pose the question, “Why is Jikji not in the Guinness World Records?”
The Guinness Book of World Records is printed in 30 languages for more than 100 countries. After realizing that Jikji is lacking enough recognition, the KLCF and KYAC sent an email to officially request the recognition of Jikji, the world’s first metalloid type.
The request was made under KYAC’s name. The documents to support the request consisted of the same materials that went into the efforts of leading UNESCO to confirm Jikji as the world’s oldest metalloid type in September 2001.
The Guinness World Records commission then notified KYAC that it will review the request and confirm at a later date. Generally, it takes the commission about 12 to 15 weeks to review. KYAC expects to hear back around mid-October.
“The 2018 Guinness Book of World Records has already been published last month,” said KLCF chief director Eun-hee Koo. “To see Jikji in the new book, that will probably have to wait until 2019. That’s assuming that the commission will make the final decision by May next year.”
Along with the request to the Guinness World Records, Koo also made an inquiry to the publisher of the textbooks used by the U.S. middle schools to make changes regarding information on Jikji. The seventh-grade social studies textbook is currently stating that the Gutenberg Bible is the oldest metalloid type in the world.”
“The publisher still has not replied yet,” said Koo. “Wrong information in a textbook has to be corrected no matter what. I’m going to continue to ask for changes.”
Koo added: “This is an obvious step that we have to take. The students we’re working with have been putting in their efforts until past midnight. No one forced them to do this work, but they’ve been adamant about fixing the errors.”
The recent efforts are the product of the hard work from Koo at the KLCF. Koo will also attend the celebration of the Korean Day at the Milpitas Library on Oct. 7 in the Bay Area to raise awareness of the organizations’ efforts. On Oct. 14, Koo will be at the symposium held by the International Korean Educators Network to give a lecture to Korean teachers in the U.S.
In 2006, Koo was appointed by South Korean city of Cheongju as the ambassador of Jikji. For the last 11 years since, Koo has been promoting Jikji through various platforms, including language courses, quiz contests, symposiums, animations and more.
Since 2015, Koo has also been hosting Jikji workshops and festivals for children. As a 26-year veteran in teaching Korean in the Silicon Valley, Koo has authored several books about teaching methodologies. Last year, Koo published the book “Dr. Koo’s Korean Class Story,” which depicts how Korean language classrooms in the U.S. look like.
Also, Koo founded the Adroit College Ensemble to perform in both the U.S. and Korea. The group is also set to perform at the 2017 Daejanggyeong World Culture Festival on Oct. 20 in Hapcheon, South Korea.
Koo is also working as the vice chair of Eudemonia Medical Service, which provides cancer tests.
By Byung Chang
